Various Artists

Le Pop 6

(Le Pop; US: 11 Apr 2011; UK: 21 Jan 2011)

The Le Pop compilations have been around for so long that you probably already know if you like them or not. The label stays true to its vision of French-language music: playful, upbeat, clever, modern and light. Tom Poisson is full of whimsy; Stephanie Lapointe is a kid with a glockenspiel; Marianne Dissard rocks in an on-off sultry way; and Feloche cuts Cajun music into a pretty collection of chips like a man making confetti out of Brie cheese. As the playlist goes on, the tracks get very faintly raucous, a reminder of the dark, harlequin tone that has become more prominent in exported European bands since the success of Manu Chao. Yvan Marc’s “Propaganda” closes with cynical energy.